Making Tissue Foil: Instructions

Submitted by Sara on 27 August 2009 - 9:12am
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Difficulty Level: 
Simple
Model type: 
Basic techniques

Making Tissue Foil (Origami Paper)

Materials used:

  • Tissue paper
  • Foil
  • Masking tape
  • White glue
  • Water and bowl to water down the glue
  • Foam roller to apply the glue
  • Glass surface - or any other surface that does not absorb water and that is flat
  • A roll to apply the tissue nicely

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 27 August 2009 - 11:28pm

I can imagine that this would be a trial and error process as to how much glue is enough, how much water in the glue is enough, how thick the tinfoil/ tissue paper should be, etc.
I'll definatly make some in the future.

Submitted by sean de los santos (not verified) on 29 August 2009 - 3:53am

i have foil almost as thin as tissue paper is that good

Submitted by Sara on 29 August 2009 - 6:40am

I'm not sure how thin or thick foil is compared to tissue. It also depends on the tissue paper. For tissue paper, you usually talk about weight, eg. 25gsm. For foil, you usually talk about thickness, eg. 15 micrometre (1 micrometre = 1/1000 mm) is very good for origami paper, and often the thickness of low-grade kitchen foil.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymus (not verified) on 4 September 2009 - 5:04pm

Hi Sara
I´m also german. Can you tell me the name of the store in witch you bought it? Maybe in OBI?
And can you write the name of the glue?
Is tissue paper "Seidenpapier"?
Thanks for answer.
anonymus
PS: You can also write in german, if you want.

Submitted by Christoph (not verified) on 6 September 2009 - 11:19pm

Sara,
I just tried using your instructions to make tissue foil. I was fortunate enough to find pure methyl cellulose here: http://www.paper-sou... It is a US based company, but I believe they ship internationally. (If you don't mind the shipping cost that is)

In all, I would consider my attempt a success, even though I will hope to improve it. Next time I'll shoot for textured paper! Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! I also plan to try double tissue in the near future. Which to you prefer for folding?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 24 September 2009 - 4:42pm

i've been doing this for a while now and i'm starting to get the hang of it, thanks for the video.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 26 September 2009 - 11:35pm

Great well now I know how to do that. I will so do that.

Submitted by PeryB (not verified) on 10 October 2009 - 12:19pm

Hey Sara, first of all let me say, you're an amazing artist. Love your work.

Your instructions were so helpful. All very precise.

I made two sheets and folded "A Miura ken Beauty Rose" by Robert J. Lang (loved the one you made btw), and I must say, the paper took the rose to a whole other level.

Thank you very much, and keep up the good work.

PeryB

Submitted by Sara on 10 October 2009 - 2:44pm

Excellently folded, you did a great job on the rose! I also think that the foil that's shimmering through gives the paper a slightly pearlescent feel, which is a nice touch. :)

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 16 January 2010 - 2:10pm

is tissue foil stiff cause i made some and its stiff

Submitted by Sara on 17 January 2010 - 10:23am

Yes, the foil makes the paper very stiff (yet it stays light).

-- Sara

Submitted by plesner (not verified) on 17 February 2010 - 9:47pm

I'm very much a novice when it comes to origami, but I've found several videos here, which I really enjoyed. So far this one was the most helpful, though. Keep up the good work.

Thanks a lot,
plesner,
Copenhagen, Denmark

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 15 April 2010 - 2:04pm

hi sara this can be used for the dragon designed by satoshi kamiya isn't it? so why do you not post a video on how to make the dragon please?? i really want to have a go at making it...please get back

Submitted by Sara on 15 April 2010 - 4:14pm

Actually, I think double tissue is more suited for the ancient dragon. However, (as I have explained too many times by now) I will not be posting an instructional video on the ancient dragon by Satoshi Kamiya. The quickest explanation is that I wasn't able to secure permission to demonstrate any of Satoshi Kamiya's models, and I respect his wish. That's not the full explanation, but I'm somewhat growing tired of the question to make a video on a model that you need extremely high folding skills for, and which takes hours to fold - let alone explain.

Sorry to disappoint you,

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 10 May 2010 - 1:37pm

can i use elmer's glue?

Submitted by Sara on 10 May 2010 - 3:18pm

Yes, you can. You should probably dilute it, though. Just add a bit of water and stir. If there are small lumps, don't worry. Once you apply the glue these should disappear. (I'm usually too lazy to stir until no more lumps are in there.)

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 10 May 2010 - 3:28pm

thanks for the reply ill try it out now

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 7 July 2010 - 12:41am

Hi Sara! I just wanted to know where to get tissue paper. It has to be at a shop close to Edison, New Jersey.

(P.S. can you make a video on the origami ring tailed lemur?)

Thanks!
Please reply!

Submitted by Sara on 7 July 2010 - 7:07am

Hi there,

I fear I cannot help you with local shops, I live in a totally different part of the world. You can try buying tissue paper online, though, eg http://www.pacon.com...

As to the ring-tailed lemur: I decided to show one model from the book Origami Essence, and that's the vixen. I have no plans right now to show another model from that book. It's still quite new, and I want to promote the sale of this book, not compete with it. Hope you understand.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 8 July 2010 - 12:37am

Thanks anyway. by the way, your videos are awelsome!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 9 July 2010 - 11:28pm

Can i use stick glue to replace the glue that you used?
Where do you get those cutting squares?
By the way, so after a couple months, after "origami essence" stops selling, then can you make a video on the ring-tailed lemur? I already have tissue foil to use, but i don't know how long they're going to last for....

Please reply!
Thanks!

Submitted by Sara on 12 July 2010 - 11:03pm

1. Yes, you can try using a glue stick. However, I think it will be hard to apply a thin, smooth surface of glue with that on the whole surface of the foil.
2. The large one I had cut in a hardware store. The others are cardboard - either cut by myself, or they were a backing for origami paper packs.
3. Not sure. I'd have to talk to Roman about that.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 18 July 2010 - 8:51pm

if i only have small foil as in width, can i layer the foil up so i can make bigger sheets

Submitted by Sara on 19 July 2010 - 5:04am

I haven't tried myself, but I think that should work. I personally would try to have no overlap, but rather go for a possible small gap. But, as I said, I haven't tried myself.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 19 July 2010 - 6:58pm

Well thanks, Ill try it and let you know, just in case anyone else asks

Submitted by Noah (not verified) on 21 July 2010 - 7:55pm

Would Scrapbook Glue work for this? The label says "ForAll Paper Projects". It's white, which I've been told is what you want, and it should almost surely mix with water.

Submitted by Sara on 21 July 2010 - 10:27pm

My general advice for all of these kind of queries is: give it a try.
I cannot give you a confident answer, but it sounds like it's definitely worth a try.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 17 August 2010 - 10:13am

Sure, you can only add tissue on one side. It's a different effect, and is suitable if one side is not visible, or if you want a shiny surface.

-- Sara

Submitted by origami and tru... (not verified) on 15 September 2010 - 1:49am

thats just normal alluminum foil right?
ps, is elmer fud glue german? it kinda sounds german

Submitted by Sara on 15 September 2010 - 8:35am

Yes, I used normal aluminium foil. Not sure what the effect is if you use texturized foil.
As to Elmer's glue - I've never seen it sold in Germany. It's definitely not one of the "standard" glues around here.

-- Sara

Submitted by dave (not verified) on 15 September 2010 - 9:54pm

thanks for the reply. i also have another queston if you could answer it. would you say that this paper is fairly good for folding complex models?

Submitted by Sara on 16 September 2010 - 6:32am

I'd go with double tissue for complex folding. I do know some people love tisse foil and fold just about anything from it. However, I feel that double tissue is the nicer paper, and that it delivers more beautiful renditions of models. Also, tissue foil is a bit of cheating, as foil really isn't paper anymore. ;)

-- Sara

Submitted by ni16 (not verified) on 16 September 2010 - 5:19pm

Can I use the white adhesive glue maybe mixed with a little bit of water to make it more liquid?
Because the last time i used adhesive the tissue tore in some places and the other side looked greenish silver color. I used green and orange colors.

One more thing . My tissue paper seems too light and thin can i use two tissue papers for sticking one SIDE? ( just to give thickness )

Submitted by ni16 (not verified) on 16 September 2010 - 5:42pm

Is it necessary to use only that roller or any other tool to apply the glue. I only have that big roller not the small one. Can i use a brush instead?

Submitted by Sara on 16 September 2010 - 8:42pm

Of course you can use a wider roller. As to a brush, you'll have to check whether you can apply the glue as evenly with it, and whether it will create creases in the foil. I have not tried this.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 16 September 2010 - 7:38pm

I mix my white glue with water to thin it down. As long as the glue is water-dissolvable there should be no problem with it at all. Most white glues should be water-dissolvable, by the way.

As to adding two layers of tissue on each side - I don't know. Isn't thinner better? :)

-- Sara

Submitted by Adr (not verified) on 22 October 2010 - 6:51pm

I´ve been folding origami for a while, always on bond paper, but when I tried to do more complex models it didnt work. I had been wondering How do they do it?
You just opened a whole new dimension for me, now I can have a go at new figures, I cant wait to get the materials and begin doing it, thanks a lot!
Love and kisses : )

Submitted by Sara on 25 October 2010 - 6:58am

I'd recommend you try out double tissue, too. I do prefer double tissue, I find it easier to work with for most models. The one thing I do prefer about tissue foil is that you can easily make duo paper for those color-change models.

-- Sara

Submitted by Sara on 7 November 2010 - 8:44am

You can make tissue foil that has tissue on only one side, and (uncovered) foil on the other. If you added copy paper, the finished paper would be quite thick, and hard to work with for most models.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 15 November 2010 - 11:50pm

sara do u think i can just use foil itself ?

Submitted by Sara on 29 November 2010 - 7:29am

There are many different kinds of wood glue, and I'm not sure whether all work. Some definitely do, so you should simply try it out and find out. :)

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 18 December 2010 - 12:07pm

excellent work, i was wondering if you could use photo mount or spray glue instead of white glue. also do you know if this white glue is called pva glue? because i am unfamiliar with the term of just white glue. thank you again for such inspiring work

Submitted by Sara on 18 December 2010 - 12:20pm

I'm not sure what photo mount is. :) You can use spray glue, but I find it doesn't give you as nice paper. I've found with spray glue the paper is a bit thicker and harder to fold with. I guess it depends a bit on the spray glue you use. I know that some people make tissue foil with spray glue, so you can definitely try it out. Perhaps you like the results better, or it is easier for you to achieve. But please work in an open place. Unlike white glue, spray glue is usually toxic.
As to PVA, yes, that's white glue.

-- Sara

Submitted by Someone (not verified) on 8 May 2011 - 7:18pm

Do you know what glue I can get in Canada that would work for this

Submitted by Sara on 9 May 2011 - 7:58am

Sorry, I don't know which glues are available in Canada. I hear Elmer's Glue, which is at least available in the US, works well.

-- Sara

Submitted by Someone (not verified) on 9 May 2011 - 3:46pm

Elmers glue is normal white craft glue.
That would work well?

Submitted by Sara on 10 May 2011 - 7:45am

As far as I know any white craft glue that's water soluble should work well. But then again, I think white craft glues usually are water soluble.

-- Sara

Submitted by Baltoholic (not verified) on 15 May 2011 - 8:38pm

At 14:47, that's the rose from Tanteidan, right? Are the diagrams published anywhere else?

Submitted by Sara on 16 May 2011 - 10:16pm

I don't know a different source, apart from Tanteidan 12, which you already mentioned.

Sorry,

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 19 June 2011 - 7:19pm

which local store that you can find everywhere sells the white glue that you were talking about. is there a special company that makes this type of glue?

Submitted by Sara on 2 July 2011 - 5:31pm

Simply use some sort of PVA glue. Basically, you want a white glue that's water-solvable and that preferably dries transparently.
Brands will vary from country to country, but you should be able to get this kind of glue pretty much everywhere.

-- Sara

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 8 January 2012 - 11:51am

Everywhere i go to find tissue paper, its always prefolded very many times. Do you a website, or an international store for tissue paper, that isnt prefolded?

Submitted by Elias (not verified) on 29 November 2012 - 4:37pm

Wait what are the 2 ingredients that you need to have in the glue for it to work? Sorry your accent is a little difficult for me to understand :D please reply soon

Submitted by KDianne Stephens (not verified) on 3 December 2012 - 1:26am

Sara's method make a wonderful foil tissue with what I call "substance". I enjoy the leathery textured effect one can also achieve with the wet glue method. Should you like a very delicate foil tissue you may want to try using Glue Sticks. Being very "shear" the glue stick does not add any thickness or warp whatsoever. It is quite "forgiving" in placing the sheets together. I also use the glue stick to apply a tissue layer to translucent waxed paper, one of my favorites in which to work.

Submitted by Sara on 3 December 2012 - 8:34am

I thin down the white glue considerably. Like this I actually achieve very thin tissue foil - much thinner than with glue sticks or spray glue.
But if you don't add as much water or eve use the glue pure, then the paper will be thicker. This may be what you're going for, of course.

Best wishes,

-- Sara

Submitted by Felipe (not verified) on 2 April 2013 - 3:00pm

When I did my tissue foil did it with tissue paper only by one side, but when I did a model, it was hard to reverse a pre-folded crease, I had to discrease it to crease again to the other side, which is something that happens a lot with advanced models....
Could someone help me??

Submitted by Thundertori (not verified) on 3 April 2013 - 12:01am

Thank you so very much for the videos. I hope you can view the photos. I made duo-tone tissue foil paper:
https://twitter.com/...
And made a kusudama from it here:
https://twitter.com/...

I can't get a hold of non-bleed tissue paper, so that is why I made tissue foil to make duo-tone paper.

I wanted to ask, have you tried any other material to use in between tissue paper besides foil?

Thank you for your help and thank you again for the video's!
-Thundertori

Submitted by Artiste (not verified) on 13 October 2013 - 11:28pm

Please, I wanted to know your opinion on this glue: Elmer's Glue-All to make Tissue Foil. I put link to the glue, so that you can exactly know what I'm talking about. Thank you in advance for your help.

If you can recommend me other glues, I would be grateful. I also live in Montreal (Canada).

Thank you for your help Madam Sara.

Lien :

http://www.bbschools...

Submitted by Sara on 14 October 2013 - 6:28am

I know several people use Elmer's Glue. I haven't tried it myself, but it is a white glue, and it should work well for this technique.

Hope this helps,

-- Sara

Submitted by Artiste (not verified) on 14 October 2013 - 6:48pm

Thank you very much for your reply and thank you especially for your help.
Have a nice day.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on 24 March 2014 - 11:46am

where can i buy that tissue paper if i dont have any credit card or debit card

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